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Monday, February 10, 2014

Review: Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan

Title: Shadowdance

Author: Kristen Callihan

Series: Darkest London, book 4

Genre: Paranormal historical romance,
Steampunk

Publisher: Forever

Source: Review copy from publisher

Format: E-book

“Once
a heart is lost in shadow...
Life has been anything but kind to Mary Chase. But the Society for the
Suppression of Supernaturals has given her purpose. Now she's been tasked with
catching a vicious murderer dubbed the Bishop of Charing Cross. But someone is
already on the case—and the last thing he relishes is a partner.Only someone who lives in darkness can find it.
Jack Talent has been alone with his demons for many years. He never expected to
have the willful Mary Chase assist him on the Bishop case. Their age-old
rivalry reaches new heights—even as their desire for one another reaches a
fever pitch. Though he aches to bring her close, Jack's dark secrets are a
chasm between them. With dangerous enemies closing in, Jack must find the
strength to face the past...or risk losing Mary forever.”

Shadowdance is
the fourth installment in the Darkest
London series by Kristen Callihan.

Jack
Talent is back to work and trying to live a normal life after what happened to
him in Winterblaze (third book);
something difficulty done thanks to the memories that doesn’t give him respite.
He is now investigating a murderer known as the Bishop of Charing Cross. After
months without any results in his investigation he is assigned a partner, the
person he least wants to share his time with, Mary Chase.

Mary
Chase is a GIM (Ghost In the Machine), she loves to work for the SOS (Society
of the Suppression of Supernaturals) because she feels like she has finally
found a place where she is doing something valuable in her life, for that
reason she tries to prove her worth at every opportunity and even though she doesn’t
want to work along Jack Talent, she knows that is a good career opportunity and
will do her best to bring down the Bishop of Charing Cross, even though she
suspects the man they are chasing is the very Jack Talent.

Jack
Talent had a far from easy childhood, he was saved when Ian Randolf opened the
doors of his house to him and gave him a home. But after what happened to him
in Winterblaze he is more broken than
ever. He feels he doesn’t deserve anything good, including the love of the
woman he has been crushing on for years, Mary Chase.

Mary
Chase doesn’t fall far from Jack in regards to her past. She was the victim of
a vicious attack that cost her her life. Luckily for her a man named Adam gave
her a second chance, a new life as a GIM.

Years
back when Mary met Jack she thought him charming, but soon after and without
any logical reason his attitude towards her changed for the worse. Jack’s
behavior hurt Mary deeply and since that first encounter they have been at
odds. Bickering is what they do best, but there is something deeper under all
the aggression they feel towards each other and that’s is an attraction they
won’t be able to negate much longer.

Seeing
them come to terms with their attraction was incredible sweet and hot. I can
say that Callihan wrote one the best first kisses scenes I have ever read.
*swoon*

I
have loved Callihan’s previous books, but nothing compares to Shadowdance. Her writing is at its best
in this installment, she gives us a story packed with love, intrigues,
deceptions, and more. Callihan shows us that the power of love is strong enough
to save and redeem souls forever thought lost.

Callihan’s
creativity doesn’t have limits and she proves it once again in Shadowdance. The world she gives us in
this installment is more complex than the one he saw in previous books. We are
not only privy to details of the Victorian Era; we are also gifted with
steampunk elements that made of Shadowdance
an even richer and more unique story.

In
this installment we are also introduce to the couple who will be the
protagonists of next book, Evernight,
which releases on August 14th, 2014. I’m dying to read their story
after seeing the seeds Callihan sown for them in this book, August 14th
can’t come soon enough.

I
can’t recommend enough Shadowdance
and the Darkest London series in
general. Callihan is a must read for all paranormal historical romance fans.
Trust me, you can thank me later.

The best eh. I have yet to read this, I've been putting it off partly because the MC's are not related to the sisters. But as you said this is probably the best, I will have to take a peek and hopefully I won't be able to put it down.